Article of repose for supporting the body of a person



A. LORENZ March 18, 1958 ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Filed Oct. 14, 1953 gig,

1 w n n ARTICLE OF REPOSE FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PERSON Anton Lorenz, BoyntonBeach, Fla. Application October 14, 1953, Se1 i al No. 335,935

3 Claims. (CL-155-106) .The present invention relates to reclining chairs, and in particular to an improved reclining chair of the type including a seat, a back-rest and a leg-rest coordinated for movement withrespect to each other wherein acornpound inclining movement is imparted to the .seat to increase the angle between the seat and back-rest as a function of the reclining movement and theleg-rest is elevated as a functionrof said compound inclining movement. This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 97,370 filed on June 6, 1949 and entitled A Reclining Article of Furniture snow abandoned.

It is generally known to construct chairs of the'reclining type which include aseat and back-rest --rockably mounted .on a support and a leg-rest disposed heneat-h theforward end of the seat and coordinatedto the movement of the back-rest such that the leg-rest is elevated as a function of the reclining movement of the back-rest. Accordingly, when the occupant of the seat leans back anddisplaces the back-rest from its normal sitting position to the various reclined positions, the leg-rest is moved upwardly and outwardly to an elevated position selected to comfortably accommodate the person in the reclined or partially reclined position.

Broadly it is anobject of the present inventionto provide .an improved linkage for controlling and'coordinating the seat, back-rest and leg-rest of a reclining chair of the aforesaid general construction. Specifically, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide an improved coordinating and controlling linkage which is .eifectiveto impart a compound incliningniovement to the seat as afu'nction of the reclining'movement of theback-rest and to elevate the'leg -rest as .a function of g said compound inclining movement.

.In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating featuresof the present invention, my improved reclining chair comprises a support and aback-rest having a depending extension which is disposed in upright sitting position and is pivotallymounted at the lower end of its depending extension for reclining --movemen t. The chair further includes a seat which is mounted to the back-rest at a point spaced-above the pivot of the back-rest on the support such that the seat translates rearward upon reclining movement of-the back-rest about its pivot on the support. A guiding link-is-disposed'below the seat in a forwardly inclined position and extends forwardly and upwardly from its lower end to its upper end when the hack-rest is in the upright sitting position, the guiding link being pivoted adjacent its upper end to the seat and adjacent its lower endto the support. Thus, the reclining movement of the back-rest is simultaneously effective to cause the seat to move rearwardly and to cause .the pivot of the guiding link on the seat to move upwardly such that a compound inclining its imparted to the seat to increase the angle betweenthe seat and back-rest as a function of the reclining movement. A leg-rest is disposed in a stored position beneath the forward end of the seat and is mounted on the chair for States Patent if g 2,827,108 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 movement'from a stored position to various elevated positions. Linkage means are operatively connected to the leg-rest andtothe seat for elevating the seat as a function of the compound inclining movement of the seat. Accordingly, in response to reclining movement of thelchair, a compound inclining movementis imparted to the seat and theileg-rest is elevated in accordance with such compound inclining movement.

The above brief description, as well as further'objects, features ,and advantages of the present invention will he more-fullyunderstood by reference to the following ,de tailed description of several illustrative embodiments demonstrating features .of the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view, withparts broken away, of an improved reclining chair illustrating. features of the present invention, vthe'full line showing the chair in the upright sitting position and the'brokenline showing the chair in a reclinedposition; and

-Fig. '2 is a side elevational view of a .modifiedreclining chair illustrating features of the present invention, the ,full line showing the chair in the ,uprightsitting positiou, and the broken line showing the chair in ..a .reclined position.

Referring now specifically to Fig. 1 there is shown .an improved reclining chair demonstrating featuresof the invention which include a support320 which is made .up of side frames .or members 384, 386 which are interconnectedlhy transverse bracing bars or members 5338.

A back-rest'326 is pivotally mounted adjacent its lower end on the support 220 ataback-rest pivot328.

The chair further includes a1seat.33tl having a seat pivot;3 32 adjacent its'forward end whichpivotally mounts the seat 330 on the back-rest 326 at a point spaced above the pivot 3280f the back-rest 326 on the support 320. The rigid depending extension .of the back-rest 326 intermediate the pivots 3278, 332 serves as a mount r h backrest on the Supp rt. The disposition .of the seat p ivotf332 above the back-rest pivot 328 is such that the seat pivot will translate rearwardly .upon .a reclining movement of the backrrest .326. In the illustrative position .of thelseat pivot 332, that is slightly rearwardly beyond a position vertically above the pivot .328, the seat pivot .332 will translate through a downward are at the start of reclining movement of the back-rest.

Disposed below the seat 330 is a guiding member 390 which includes a guiding link or arm 333 disposed in a forwardly inclined position. The guiding link 338' extends forwardly and upwardly from its lower end to t upper nd When the back-rest 326' is in the u right sittingposition. Ihe guiding member, which is in the form of a bell crank, is pivoted on the support at the pivot .342, the pivot 342 providing a pivotal connection at the lower end of the guiding link .333 to the support 320. The upper end of the guiding link 338 is pivoted to the seat at the pivot 340. The reclining movement of the 'back-rest 326, in addition to causing the seatpivot 332 to move rearwardly, causes'the pivot 340 of the guiding'link 338 to move upwardly in a rearwardly directed are such that a compound inclining movement is imparted to the seat 330 which increases the angle between the seat and the back-rest as a function of the reclining movement :of the chair.

Positioned beneath the forward end of the seat 330 is a leg-rest 398 which is disposed in the stored position and is movable into various elevated positions forwardly of the seat .330. In this embodiment, the leg-rest 398 is swingably mounted at a leg-rest pivot 300 on the forward end of the seat .330 by means of adepending hanger 312. Linkage means are operatively connected to the mov-ably mounted ieg-rest 398 to elevate the leg-rest as a function of the compound inclining movement of the seat 330. The linkage means includes the arm or rigid extension 339 of the guiding member 390 serving as a driving link which extends below the pivot 342 when the back-rest is in the upright sitting position. The rigid extension or driving linkr339 is connected to the leg-rest 398 by a connecting or controlling link 394-having a pivotal connection 392 at its lower end to the lower end of the link 339 and a pivotal connection 396 at its upper end to the leg-rest 398. The leg-restt398 serves as a biasing means for returning the movable components of the reclining chair from the re clined position to which the chair is brought by the seat occupant to the upright sitting positiom 7 The reclining movement of the chair is limited by a stop 304 which is in position to "abut the guiding link 338 of the guiding member'390 when'the guiding link 338 approaches the vertical 'orupright position illustrated by' the broken lines. A stop 302 is in position to abut the depending extension of the back-rest to properly orient the chair components in the sitting position.

In order to facilitate a more thorough understanding of the present invention a typical operating sequence'of the chair will be described: 7

When the chair occupant is seated in the chair and leans back against the back-rest 326, the rearward portion of the seat will move through a rearward and downward V arc, the radius thereof depending upon the spacing of the compound inclining movement of the seat from the driving link or arm 439 by the linkage 494, 412 and 419.

A latitude of modifications, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of the invention will be used without'a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriatethat the invention be construed broadly in a manner consistent with the 1. An improved reclining chair comprising a suppott,

spirit and scope of the dis= a back-rest having a depending extension and disposed seat pivot 332 from the back-rest pivot 328. Simultaneously the guiding link 338 moves through an upwardly l and rearwardly directed are about the piv0t 342 which elevates the forward portion of'the seat-330 such that the seat experiences a compound inclining movement. T lllflillg; of the'guiding'member 390'in the counterclock wise directionabout its'pivot 342 will causethe depend- 7 ing arm or driving link'339 to impart a thrust to' the controlling or connecting link 394' such'that the leg-rest 398 is elevated in coordination to, the compound inclining movement of the seat via the linkage 394, 339 and 338. j 7 t A e t Referring now specifically to Fig.2, there is illustrated a further embodiment of a reclining, chair in accordance with the present invention which is similar in many respects to the oonstructionillustrated in Fig. l. vAccordingly, corresponding parts in Fig. -2 will be designated by reference numerals as partof the 400 series. However, in Fig.2, the leg-rest supportland control is somewhat diiferent from that illustrated in Fig. 1 and will be.

described in detail, The leg-rest 498 is movably mounted on the'chair by a depending hanger 412 which has a pivotal connection 414 at its upper end to the forward portion of the seat430. The connecting or controlling link 494 is pivoted at'an intermediate'pivot410 to th'depend-e ing hanger or arm 412. The downwardly extending arrri 416 of the controlling link 494 has a pivotal connection 492 at its lower end to the driving link or extensiont439 of the guiding member 490 and the other arm 408 has a pivotal connection 406 to. the upper end of the leg-rest 498. The lower end 'of the depending hanger 412 is coupled to the leg-rest by a further controlling link 419 which has a pivotal connection 418 at its rearward end in a substantially upr'ight'sittirig position, means adjacent the lower end of saidextension pivotally mounting said backrest on said support for reclining movement, a seat, means adjacent the rearward end of said seat pivotally mounting said seat to said back-rest at a point spaced from the pivot of said back-rest on said support, thepivot 'for said seat being disposed above'the pivot for said back-rest and in position to translate rearwardly upon recliningmovement of said back-rest about its pivoton said support, a guiding link disposed below said seat in a forwardly inclined position and extending forwardly and upwardly from its lower end to its upper end when said back-rest is' in' said upright sitting position, means pivotally connecting said upper end of the guiding link itoi said seat, means pivotally connecting said lower end of said guiding link to said support, the reclining movement of said back-rest being simultaneously effective to cause said seat to move rearwardly and to cause thepivot of 'said guiding link on said seat to move upwardly such that a compound inclining movement is imparted to'said seat to increase the angle between said seat and back-rest as a function of said reclining movement, a leg-rest disposed in a stored position beneath the forward end of said seat, means movably mounting said leg-rest on said chair for movement from, said stored position to various elevated positions, and link means operatively connected to said to the hanger 412 and a pivotal connection 421 at its forward end to the leg-rest 498. a

As before, appropriate stops are provided for limiting l i the movement of the chair between the upright sitting position illustrated by the fulljline in Fig. 2 and the full embodiment, an abutment or stop 423 limits the movemovement tof the guiding member 490 which in turn establishes the fully reclined position'of the chair.

The chair operates essentially in the manner previously described above with the leg-restbeing controlled by the reclined position illustrated by the broken line. In this tion of said compound inclining movement of said seat.

2. An improved reclining chair comprising a support, a back-rest having a depending extension and disposed in a substantially upright sitting position, means adjacent the lower end of said extension pivotally mounting said back-rest on said support for reclining movement, a seat, means adjacent'the rearward end of said seat pivotally mounting said seat to'said back-rest at a point spaced from the pivot of said back-rest on; said support, the pivot for said seat being disposed above the pivot for said backrest and in position to translate rearwardly upon reclining movement of said back-rest about itsfpivot on said support, a guiding link disposed below said seat in a for wardly inclined position and extending forwardly and up-' wardly from its lower end to its upper end when said back-rest is 'in said upright sittin'ggposition, means pivotally connecting said upper end of the guiding link to said seat, means pivotally connecting said lower end of said guiding link to said support th'e reclining movement of said back-rest being simultaneously effective .to cause said seat to I move rearwar'dly and to cause the pivot'of said guiding link on said seat to move upwardly such that a compound inclining movement is imparted to said seat. to increase the angle between said seat and back-rest as afunction of said reclining movement, a leg-rest disposed in a stored position-beneath the forward end of said seat, means movably mounting said leg-rest on saidichair for movement from. said stored'position to various elevated positions, and link means operatively connected to said leg-rest and to said guiding link for elevating said leg-rest as a function of said compound inclining move- 7 ment of said seat;

3. An improved reclining chair comprising a support,

'a back-rest having a depending extension and disposed ma substantially upright sitting position, means "adjacent a the lower end o f said extensionvpivotally mounting said;

assz'mos back-rest on said support for reclining movement, a seat, means adjacent the rearward end of said seat pivotally mounting said seat to said back-rest at a point spaced from the pivot of said back-rest on said support, the pivot for said seat being disposed above the pivot for said back-rest and in position to translate rearwardly upon reclining movement of said back-rest about its pivot on said support, a guiding link disposed below said seat in a forwardly inclined position and extending forwardly and upwardly from its lower end to its upper end when said back-rest is in said upright sitting position, means pivotally connecting said upper end of the guiding link to said seat, means pivotally connecting said lower end of said guiding link to said support, the reclining movement of said back-rest being simultaneously effective to cause said seat to move rearwardly and to cause the pivot of said guiding link on said seat to move upwardly such that a compound inclining movement is imparted to said seat to increase the angle between said seat and backrest as a function of said reclining movement, a leg-rest disposed in a stored position beneath the forward end of said seat, means movably mounting said leg-rest on said chair for movement from said stored position to various elevated positions, and link means operatively connected to said leg-rest and to said guiding link for elevating said leg-rest as a function of said compound inclining movement of said seat, said link means including as a driving ink thereof a rigid extension of said guiding link extending below the pivot of the lower end of said guiding link to said support in said upright sitting position, and a controlling link pivotally connected to said rigid extension and to said leg-rest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 228,869 Clough June 15, 1880 333,052 Brooks Dec. 22, 1885 1,160,399 Giberson Nov. 16, 1915 1,608,064 Henry Nov. 23, 1926 2,295,122 Moeller Sept. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,714 Great Britain 1914 42,408 France July 19, 1933 820,791 France Aug. 9, 1937 

